For Allie it was all too soon. They hadn’t had time to gather support for their plan – hadn’t even begun to iron out its weaknesses or identify its strengths. It was still just a fuzzy idea.
Maybe that’s why Nathaniel was doing this, she thought. If he’d heard what they were planning – if word had somehow got back to him – he’d want to stop them early. Cut them off at the knees before they learned how to walk.
The thought made her angry. And anger gave her energy.
Just after noon, Allie and Isabelle were working in her office when her mobile buzzed.
‘Isabelle,’ she answered shortly, her eyes still on the document in front of her. Then her tone changed. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘How odd. Yes. Open the gates.’
Allie, who was seated on one of the chairs in front of her desk, looked up in surprise.
‘It’s Julian.’ Isabelle was already heading for the door. ‘This can’t be good news.’
‘What? Here?’ Allie scrambled after her. ‘Why can’t it be good news?’
‘Why would he just show up without calling first?’ Isabelle said as they half-ran down the hallway. ‘Good news can be given any way you like. But you deliver bad news in person.’
Allie’s stomach flipped. Would Julian Bell-Howard actually drive all the way from London to Cimmeria just to tell them he wouldn’t help them?
It seemed cruel. But anything was possible. She didn’t understand adults, sometimes.
Julian pulled up a short while later in a glossy silver sports car.
‘This is ridiculous,’ Isabelle exclaimed as he climbed out, all long legs and elbows in a Savile Row suit. ‘You didn’t have to come all this way.’
‘Don’t be absurd.’ He kissed both her cheeks smoothly, as if they were about to go to dinner together in Kensington. ‘We have important things to discuss. Besides, I’d never let you face Nathaniel alone. Allie, my dear.’
He held out both hands to her. ‘I cannot tell you how happy I was to get Isabelle’s phone call and hear about your plan.’ His mouth was too wide for his face, his dark hair flopped forward into his eyes. There was something wonderfully off-kilter about him. ‘I knew the two of you would think of some way to get us out of our Orion predicament. I think the idea is brilliant. Nathaniel will be backed right into a corner.’
‘How was the idea of the new group received by the others?’ Isabelle asked. ‘We need their support or we have nothing to fight for.’
‘You’ve got it.’ Julian’s reply came without hesitation. ‘You have them all.’
Allie wasn’t sure she’d understood that. ‘Wait. They’re all going to support us?’
‘All of them,’ Julian said. He glanced at Isabelle. ‘It turns out a lot of people are very eager to leave Orion.’
This was brilliant news, but Isabelle still looked worried.
‘But first we have to get Nathaniel to agree.’
‘Indeed.’ Julian tilted his head at the front door, which stood open behind them. ‘Well Izzy? Shall we just stand in the driveway fretting? Or should we go inside and get to work? Do you know, I’m absolutely gasping for a cup of tea.’
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake.’ Isabelle turned on her heel and headed up the steps, her low heels clicking. ‘Fine. Come in. You can join in the chaos.’
Seeing them together like this, Allie got the impression they’d once been a couple. They seemed absolutely at home with each other.
And Isabelle was wrong. Julian had not come with bad news.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of work and planning. Allie spent most of the day with Julian and Isabelle. Occasionally Raj and Zelazny would join them to go over finer points of security planning.
It was decided that the meeting would take place outside the building. Isabelle insisted Nathaniel would be impossible to control if he was actually inside. But Allie suspected she simply didn’t want to see the man who would like to take the school from her within its doors.
They would meet by the front steps. The meeting would be as short as possible.
Raj was placing guards among them, and hidden in the shadows.
Everything had been decided, down to who would do most of the talking.
‘Dealing with Nathaniel is always tricky,’ Isabelle said at one point. ‘I shouldn’t speak much – my presence upsets him.’
‘Hmm, yes,’ Julian agreed. ‘I must say, he and I have always been able to speak with some rationality, so I feel comfortable talking with him, if you’d prefer? I’m happy to stand in for our side, as it were.’
‘Good. And he seems to like Allie.’ Isabelle glanced at her. ‘She can handle some negotiations.’
‘Of course he likes her,’ Julian said cheerfully, ‘she’s wonderful. But I think it would be wise if she stayed out of his… reach. If you will.’
‘Yes,’ Isabelle agreed. ‘I’ll make sure the guards know he’s not to touch Allie. She must be kept away from him at all times.’
The implication of this made Allie’s blood run cold. Everyone suspected Nathaniel would hurt her, given the chance.